mainheader.gif (10771 bytes)

Agency Detail


Agency No. 67
Agency Title  ABORIGINES DEPARTMENT [1]
Start Date  1 Apr 1898
End Date  31 Dec 1908
Category  Sub-Department
Creating Legislation  An Act to further amend the Constitution Act of 1889 and for the better protection of the Aboriginal race of Western Australia (statute 5/1897); An Act to make better provision for the better protection and care of the Aboriginal inhabitants of Western Australia (statute 14/1905);
Agency Description  The 1897 Aborigines Act established the first Aborigines department in Western Australia. The department started to function in April 1898, as a sub-department of the Treasury, with a small staff, a permanent head called the Chief Protector of Aborigines, and a statutory grant of 5 000 pounds. In 1901, the department was assigned to the Premier's Department, a year later to the office of the Colonial Secretary, and in 1905 its control was transferred to the Minister for Commerce and Labour. About the same time, as a result of a Royal Commission appointed in 1904, it was raised to the status of a department and allocated a minmum statutory grant of 10 000 pounds.

In 1909, the Aborigines and the Fisheries Departments were amalgamated into one agency; the Aborigines and Fisheries Department. This step was due partly to a policy of financial stringency on the part of the government and partly to the expediency of running as one the two departments whose interests in that period lay mainly in the northern part of the State.

The first Chief Protector of Aborigines was Henry Charles Princep (who was formerly Under-Secretary for Mines). Princep's appointment commenced on 1 April 1898 but was without any legal authority (see the 1904 Roth Royal Commission, question 207). The Aborigines Act 1905 legalised the situation and his appointment was re-gazetted on 4 May 1906.

Charles Frederick Gale was appointed Acting Chief Protector of Aborigines during Princep's absence commencing 11 December 1912. Gale was appointed Chief Protector of Aborigines and Chief Inspector of Fisheries on 1 October 1908.

 
Preceding Agencies 
1200 ABORIGINES PROTECTION BOARD 1 Jan 1886 ~ 1 Apr 1898   Detail
 
Succeeding Agencies 
39 DEPARTMENT FOR COMMUNITY WELFARE 16 Jun 1972 ~ 1 Jan 1985   Detail
40 DEPARTMENT FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES 1 Jan 1985 ~ 1 Oct 1992   Detail
47 DEPARTMENT OF NATIVE AFFAIRS 1 Jan 1936 ~ 31 Dec 1954   Detail
48 DEPARTMENT OF NATIVE WELFARE 1 Jan 1955 ~ 16 Jun 1972   Detail
49 ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS PLANNING AUTHORITY 16 Jun 1972 ~ 31 Oct 1994   Detail
63 ABORIGINES DEPARTMENT [2] 1 Jan 1926 ~ 1 Jan 1936   Detail
64 DEPARTMENT OF THE NORTH WEST [1] 1 Jan 1920 ~ 1 Jan 1926   Detail
65 FISHERIES DEPARTMENT [2] 1 Jan 1920 ~ 1 Sep 1964   Detail
66 DEPARTMENT OF ABORIGINES AND FISHERIES 1 Jan 1909 ~ 1 Jan 1920   Detail
797 ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT 1 Nov 1994 ~ 30 Jun 2001   Detail
1202 DEPARTMENT OF INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS 1 Jul 2001 ~   Detail
 
Superior Agencies 
-
 
Subordinate Agencies 
-
 
Functions exercised by this agency 
4 SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICES 1 Apr 1898 ~ 1 Jan 1909   Detail
 
Record series created by this agency 
1377 SCRAPBOOKS 30 Jan 1905 ~ 31 Dec 1908   Detail
1550 REPORTS - ABORIGINAL MISSIONS 31 Dec 1906 ~ 31 Dec 1908   Detail
3005 FILES - CHIEF PROTECTOR OF ABORIGINES 1 Apr 1898 ~ 31 Dec 1908   Detail
3024 ANNUAL REPORTS 1 Apr 1898 ~ 31 Dec 1908   Detail
3046 REPORT - ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT 12 May 1898 ~ 12 May 1898   Detail
3047 CIRCULAR 1 May 1898 ~ 1 Feb 1899   Detail

Back to Search Results Page



Simple Search |  Advanced Search 
Back to AEON Start Page

 

[Home]


© State Records Office of Western Australia
Last Updated 23 August 2004

Please make queries or comments regarding AEON to sro@sro.wa.gov.au